"Effective Regenerative Treatments for Runner’s Knee Relief"

 

Start running again with Regenerative Treatment for Runner’s knee

The Knee joint is one of the most important and strongest joints of the locomotor system of the human body. The pressure experienced by the knee joint is approximately three times the body’s weight when walking and about five times the body’s weight when running. In short, a person who weighs 80 kg puts about 400kg of pressure on the knee when landing each running stride. The immense pressure experienced by the knee, especially in runners, makes the knee more prone to injury. Iliotibial or IT band syndrome, also called runner’s knee, is a common knee injury, especially in runners. It is the second most common knee injury in runners after the jumper’s knee.

What is Iliotibial or IT band syndrome or runner’s knee?

The Iliotibial band, or IT band, is longitudinal fibrous support of the Fascia Lata. It is originating from the upper outer part of the hip and runs along the outside and lastly attaches to the top of the shinbone (tibia). When the knee bends, the IT band glides over the outside of the knee joint, including the bulbous end of the femur called the lateral condyle. If the IT band becomes tight either from strain or overuse, it can rub against the lateral condyle, causing inflammation and pain. Typically, there is sharp pain usually felt on the outer part of the knee joint.

IT band syndrome pain is usually most noticeable when the knee is bent at about 30 degrees. The outer part of the thigh feels tight, and hip and knee may be less flexible. Cyclists typically feel pain when the knee is bent at 30 degrees during the downward pedal stroke and again during the upward pedal stroke.

What is the conventional treatment for runner’s knee?

Non-surgical Regenerative treatments are usually successful in treating IT band syndrome. The Iliotibial band plays a vital role in stabilizing the knee. In the inward rotation, it also helps the hips in abduction. Conventional treatment for IT band syndrome, which is mainly palliative, includes:

Reduction in pain and inflammation

The initial treatment for the Iliotibial band syndrome include reduction of pain and inflammation using either of the following methods:

• rest,
• change of footwear,
• massage,
• proper warm-ups,
• stretching,
• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
• Change running biomechanics,
• Ultrasound and electrical muscle stimulation or Iontophoresis.

Massaging or stretching

Frequent massage on a slow roller or self-massaging machine can help to manage symptoms. The procedure is prolonged and time-consuming.

Cortisone injections

If these simple measures do not help, cortisone injections might be offered. Cortisone injections can have significant side effects causing weakness of soft tissues such as tendons and cartilage, particularly in patients receiving multiple injections per year.

Surgery

Surgery should only be the last resort. The small part of the IT band is cut, which rubs against the thigh bone (tibia). This procedure usually involves general anaesthetic and recovery is up to 6 weeks or more.

How regenerative treatment helps in Iliotibial band syndrome?

We, at Medica Stem Cells, offer Regenerative treatment which speeds up recovery time and is minimally invasive. The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and has a speedier recovery and a lowered risk of infection or complication compared to invasive surgery.

Several studies have revealed the efficacy of Enhanced Enhanced Platelet Rich Plasma or Enhanced PRP in treating damaged ligaments and tendons. Enhanced Enhanced Platelet Rich Plasma not only manages the symptoms of IT band syndrome but also helps to promote healing of the damaged connective tissues.

Typically, people who undergo surgery continue to experience symptoms like numbness, tenderness, or reduced range of movement or reduced function. Also, the surgery has very painful post-operative recovery, which needs to be followed by rehabilitation to restore the mobility of the joint. Unlike conventional treatment, Regenerative treatment is a same-day procedure with minimal risk and rehabilitation for proper joint mobility is not required.

Regenerative treatment is an alternative treatment option which is proven to be very successful. It is used in treating various conditions, including pain in knees. Usually, patients with knee pain mainly rely on pain-killers to manage pain. However, the pain-killers do not treat the cause of pain.

Regenerative treatment, on the other hand, helps to treat the cause of pain by using the biological material that is harvested from the patient’s body to help treat injuries and other conditions. The Regenerative treatment helps in healing, regenerating tissues and in combatting pain.

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"How to Determine the Cause of Your Hip Pain: Key Signs and Diagnosis"

 

When people have pain in their hip region, most don’t investigate it right away. A lot of them tolerate the pain, especially if it sustains only for an hour or so. Only when the hip pain crosses the limit, they decide to consult a doctor. By that time, the condition might deteriorate where treatments don’t work due to delay. Physicians ultimately will recommend the patient for surgery due to failure in other conventional treatment methods.

‘Earlier the diagnosis, earlier the treatment’ – this should be everyone’s motto.

Hence, this blog article aims to present the symptoms of varied types of common hip-related problems and raise awareness of potential hip pain conditions. So you can get the treatment well in advance.

Anatomy of the hip region

The hip is a weight-bearing region made up of a ball-and-socket joint. The upper part of the thighbone is the ball region. Similarly, the portion of the pelvic bone is the socket region.

Articular cartilage is found beneath this ball-and-socket joint. It is the covering part of the bones which prevents them from rubbing against each other.

The hip joint stabilises the shape of the hip portion and helps to move the hip easily without creating any problem.

What if there occurs an injury or degeneration in the hip?

Due to overuse of the hip region, it is prone to injury and degeneration. Hence, your hip may undergo the following 8 common hip issues as listed below:

• Hip osteoarthritis
• Hip osteonecrosis
• Bursitis
• Hip tendinitis
• Hip labrum tear
• Snapping hip syndrome
• Hip flexor strain
• Hip flexor injury

You will experience symptoms such as hip pain, stiffness, tenderness, swelling, and limited range of motion leading to difficulty while walking.

Although all these problems cause severe pain in your hip, there are few differences in pain. So, let us go through them.

Hip osteoarthritis

As you grow older, the cartilage portion of the hip joint wears away. Hence, the joint parts will rub against each other causing hip pain. It is called degenerative arthritis or wear and tear arthritis.

In this condition, you get pain in front of the groin that may travel into the thigh portion. At times, you get pain at the side of the hip, back of the thigh or buttocks.

This pain will aggravate while getting up from a seated position, getting in or out of the car, bending to put on shoes, or doing vigorous activities. Hip pain will shoot up while standing, jogging, and walking.

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"Advanced PRP Treatment for Thumb Osteoarthritis Relief"

 Thumb osteoarthritis is a deteriorating condition, so many people are forced to opt for thumb joint replacement. However, many people are unaware of non-invasive alternate methods for delaying or avoiding thumb joint replacement surgeries. In Medica Stem Cells Clinic, we offer treatment methods that may help you avoid the invasive method of thumb joint replacement with non-invasive therapies for thumb osteoarthritis. Let us know first what thumb osteoarthritis is before we proceed with the non-invasive methods.

How thumb osteoarthritis occurs?

Compared to the other fingers, the thumb is distinctive because it can rotate more on its own at the carpometacarpal joint (CMC joint). CMC joint is situated at the bottom of the thumb, and it is commonly known as a basal joint. The thumb joint is held together inside a joint capsule that is filled with synovial fluid. This synovial fluid acts as a lubricant for the smooth movement of the thumb. Thumb osteoarthritis usually occurs in the CMC joint. In the case of thumb osteoarthritis, the cartilage of the CMC joint deteriorates, and the easy movement of one bone over the other gets hampered. Hence, in this degenerative arthritis condition, the bones rub with one another, and a lot of friction is caused. Lastly, this friction leads to the damage of joints and bones. And the synovial membrane that produces synovial fluid and gets inflamed. In a severe condition, there will be a loss of the cushioning effect. Hence, it’ll lead to the grinding between the bones. Eventually, due to the prolonged grinding, there will be a change in the joint shape. Women and elders above the age of 65 are at high risk of developing thumb osteoarthritis.

Signs of thumb osteoarthritis

The most common sign of thumb arthritis is basal joint pain. The thumb gets worsened due to continuous movement, swelling, and stiffness around the region of the basal joint. Hence, there will be difficulty in gripping objects using the thumb. Heal thumb osteoarthritis by conventional treatment There are multiple forms of conventional therapies, like corticosteroid injections, RICE (Rest, Ice therapy, Compression, and Elevation) therapy, and prescribing NSAIDs (administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), e.g. ibuprofen. However, these can only provide momentary relief from inflammation and pain. Also, consuming NSAIDs for an extended period can create many problems like damage to the kidney, gastrointestinal problems, and cardiovascular problems. Accordingly, prolonged usage of steroid injections can lead to a heart attack or stroke. As a final solution to thumb osteoarthritis, the damaged thumb joint can be removed with the help of surgery. As a follow-up of surgery, a pad of tissue can be replaced. Therefore, it will aid in keeping the bones separated, and there won’t be any friction and damage. Hence, the bones will not rub with each other. Undergoing surgery will create many complications. The thumb will look very prominently shorter after the surgery.

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"Is Stem Cell Treatment Effective for Osteoarthritis? Key Insights You Should Know"

 

Currently, researchers consider stem cells as the possible answer to many medical conditions, especially osteoarthritis. Their hope is that stem cell treatment can stop the progression caused by an ailment by repairing it. However, more research studies are ongoing to determine how stem cell therapy can be more effective and advanced to current protocols. Are you wondering what makes stem cell therapy so unique? Let’s read on.

How does stem cell therapy work?

Stem cell treatment uses the patient’s own cells to help restore the damaged tissues of your hip or knee joint. Unlike other treatments, stem cell therapy treats the underlying cause of knee pain and other joint pain. Hence, this therapy can reduce joint pain, increase movement, increase flexibility, speed up regeneration, improve blood flow, and treat ligament or tendon tears for a prolonged duration. Adult stem cell therapy is non-invasive and safe. Studies recommend that its side effects are very minimal with no adverse effects.

What are the stem cells used for knee osteoarthritis treatment?

Mesenchymal stem cells are used as they have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells. These mesenchymal stem cells can be administered as BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate) and SVF (stromal vascular fraction).

How are BMAC and SVF collected?

BMAC

BMAC is collected as an aspirate from the bone marrow. This procedure is performed on the iliac crest under local anaesthesia. At the same time, this aspirate is concentrated with the help of a centrifuge to get the concentrate rich in beneficiary proteins. That’s bone marrow aspirate concentrate.

SVF

SVF collection involves the following steps:

• Collection of adipose (fat) tissue using liposuction procedure. The resultant is called lipoaspirate.
• Then centrifuged to separate and isolate the adipose-derived stem cells from blood and oil.
• Followed by a breakdown of fat by micronising the sample.

And the resultant SVF product can be readily injected into the affected joint area.

What happens during the BMAC or SVF procedure?

At first, a local anaesthetic is applied to the knee joint to numb any pain from the injection. Next, BMAC or SVF is injected intraarticular under ultrasound guidance for precision. Sterile dressings are applied to the affected area for up to three days to keep the injection area clean and prevent infection. Oral NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) should be avoided for four to six weeks before and after stem cell therapy as these negatively impact the healing process. However, always discuss with your doctor before stopping any medication!

How long does stem cell treatment last? What should you expect?

The effect of stem cell treatment for every joint region such as shoulder, knee, hip or ankle and foot fluctuates according to the severity and extent. However, several co-morbidities like kidney and heart issues, diabetes, body inflammation can also affect its success rate. Several research studies revealed that stem cell therapy had reported a long-lasting result anywhere between six months to a few years. The treatment can last up to 7 years or more depending on physiotherapy rehabilitation, active lifestyle, balanced diet and less stress post-treatment. Although no promises can be made about the exact duration of its long-lasting effect, stem cell therapy showed positive effects for a prolonged duration.

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"Enhancing Regenerative Treatment with Nutrition: How Effective Is It?"

So, you have decided to opt for regenerative treatment towards permanent pain relief. Taking that decision is a good start, but by combining it with non-invasive holistic interventions such as nutritional advice and physiotherapy, you can enhance the effectiveness of the regenerative treatment. Patients often enquire whether diet plays a vital role in improving the outcome of regenerative treatment. The answer is definitely yes! Healthy eating has been linked with several factors, including reduced inflammation, better sleep, lower stress levels, weight loss and improved mood and energy levels. Regenerative therapy promotes the body’s healing mechanism by targeting the damaged or injured area and regenerating new cells. Good nutrition, which includes all essential nutrients, may prove more effective in helping with recovery post-treatment. Combining nutritional education with dietary programmes will provide a comprehensive treatment plan that aims to help the recovery process and improve overall diet quality. By utilising this combinational healthcare approach that promotes quicker healing and regeneration, people hope to live long and healthy lives. What are the benefits of following a Nutritional Programme?

Nutritionists take a holistic approach that focuses on how people can use dietary choices to reduce their disease risk. Having a good balance of foods and nutrients and including foods with anti-inflammatory properties can protect the body from certain diseases and help in healing and recovering from regenerative treatments. By following nutritional advice, you may experience many benefits, including:

• Improved healing and recovery from sports “wear and tear” or even surgical procedures
• Weight loss
• Improved mood
• Increase in energy levels
• Improved sleep
• Improved sports performance
• Improvement in chronic conditions
• Stress relief
• Healthier eating habits
• Reduced risk of future medical conditions
• Enhanced immune support

What do research studies say about the combination of regenerative therapy with nutrition for healing?

Studies show that following an anti-inflammatory diet can help the regenerative process. In a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Neurosurgery, an anti-inflammatory diet led to the reduction of symptoms. Nearly 70 per cent of patients were able to discontinue prescription medications. Research studies reveal that chemical-based medicines have no regenerative ability. Contrarily, they interfere with the body’s self-healing ability and make it degenerative. Supplements like fish oil have been proven to promote more stem cells to enhance quick recovery. For instance, research studies reveal that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils can combat arthritis pain. Our body produces most of the essential fats, except omega-3 and omega-6. By consuming oily fish twice a week or fish oil capsules of high-quality grade, you may get relief from arthritis pain. At times, physicians recommend omega-3 consumption instead of NSAIDs as it is comparatively safe.

Take away

Under the medical team’s guidance, you can adopt dietary changes to improve your diet quality and health. Through a nutrition programme, you may get back on track quickly so you can live your best life.

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"Achieve Pain Relief with Regenerative Treatment and Physiotherapy"

 

Regenerative therapy is a branch of medicine that helps repair, restore and regenerate damaged or injured cells to rebuild impaired function caused due to trauma, ageing and diseases. Physiotherapy, if started alongside regenerative treatment, can help patients recover to their optimal level. Regenerative rehabilitation therapy evolves as the combination of regenerative medicine and physiotherapy. While regenerative therapy targets the cause of the pain by triggering the healing process, physiotherapy enhances that recovery and give longer-lasting effects by strengthening. 

After undergoing regenerative therapy, your physiotherapist can recommend personalised exercise programmes to achieve your goals. By following recommended Regenerative rehabilitation therapy, patients can return to their everyday lives as quickly as possible.

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is the maintenance or improvement of mobility, physical abilities, fitness and quality of life using movement, exercise therapy and other physical methods. Both regenerative medicine and physiotherapy go hand in hand to reduce pain and increase the quality of life. As pain decreases, the ability to move and strengthen increases; this is where a physiotherapist plays a significant role to recommend the right strategy at the right time. The typical customised rehabilitation programme includes:

• Biomechanical assessment and goal setting
• Graded movement within pain levels
• Strengthening exercises
• Balance rehab
• Resistance training
• Functional rehab
• Electrical stimulation

What physiotherapist does?

The physiotherapist’s role is to help you recover optimally by evaluating your movement and prescribing the relevant exercise programme accordingly. However, it is you who must take active participation in the recovery procedure.

Throughout the sessions, the physiotherapist will monitor the progress of your recovery by carefully checking the strength and endurance as well as symptoms like pain or swelling, if any. Always inform your physiotherapist if you are having any difficulty adhering to your programme so that the physiotherapist can adjust the exercises to suit you. Eventually, by sticking to your exercise program, physiotherapy will help you in increasing your resistance level, improve mobility, function and wellbeing.

What are the benefits of Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy involves active movements to help prevent patients from losing function by activating muscles and enhancing sensory pathways.

• Active movements such as strengthening, balance exercises, coordination, and endurance training can stimulate muscle memory, promote signal transmission in nerves, and inhibit atrophy.
• Physiotherapy can restore the range of motion, increase muscle strength, and promote functional recovery. It can improve your balance and coordination to reduce the risk of falls.
• Physiotherapy can assist in reducing inflammation, pain and swelling to restore mobility and flexibility.
• Physiotherapy also promotes wellbeing in a patient and, combined with Regenerative treatment, can provide advanced results in joint pain treatment.
• Passive treatments such as massage, cold and heat therapy can also work as a pain reliever; however, they may not give as long-lasting effects as strength and movement.

Take away

Regenerative rehabilitation therapy can be the right solution to reduce joint replacement surgeries’ financial, physical, and emotional burden. Under the medical team’s guidance, you can adopt physiotherapy after the regenerative treatment to achieve its full benefits. Through physiotherapy in combination with regenerative medicine, you may be able to restore, maintain and improve your mobility, function and wellbeing and relieve the symptoms of joint pain faster so you can get back to an active, pain-free life.

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Jumpstart Hip Bursitis Recovery with Regenerative Therapy!

 

Have you been treating your hip pain with NSAIDs and steroids for a long time? You might have got only short-term relief with recurrent flare-ups. Continuous use of cortisone steroid injections can increase the rate of degeneration and cause even lethal complications [1]. Moreover, worsening of symptoms, reduction of native healing stem cells in joints, and tendon ruptures have also been reported [2].Why not opt for therapies that help you to regenerate rather than degenerating the hip joint area?

What is hip bursitis?

Bursae is a small fluid-filled sac that cushion and lubricate the bones, tendons, and muscles around your joints to help in smooth movement with reduced friction. Hip bursae are located between the hip bone and glutei muscle attachments. Hip bursitis is defined as the inflammation of the bursa that affects the hip joint due to its repetitive overuse. Hence, the hip movement becomes restricted and painful.

Hip bursitis causes

Hip bursitis can be caused by incorrect posture, muscle weakness, direct hip injury, bone spurs in the hip, uneven leg lengths, irritation due to rubbing of hip muscles/tendons with bursa, spine problems like scoliosis, diseases including gout, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disorder, etc., and hip replacement/surgery.

Know the hip bursitis symptoms

A sharp pain followed by a dull aching pain is the primary hip bursitis symptom which will slowly migrate to other regions such as buttock, thigh and legs. You will feel hip pain while performing the following activities:

• Walking or running
• Climbing stairs
• Lifting the leg up to the side
• Sitting for a prolonged time
• Sitting with crossed legs
• Getting up from sitting posture
• Lying on the affected hip

Other hip bursitis symptoms include swelling, tenderness, warmth around the affected area, and the intermittent redness of the skin around inflamed bursae.

Is hip bursitis diagnosis right or wrong?

People visit the clinic for hip bursitis treatment. But do they really have bursitis? Bursitis causes intolerable pain, where it is impossible to touch the skin over the inflamed hip area. But if the affected part can be palpated by putting extra pressure, the patient may not have bursitis. At times, tendonitis (inflammation of tendons) and tendinopathy (degenerated tendon) are often misdiagnosed as bursitis. A research study revealed that patients with trochanteric pain often had bursitis. Similarly, most of the patients with bursitis had tendinopathy [3]. Hence it is mandatory to check whether the diagnosis is right or wrong.

Conventional hip bursitis treatments:

• Initial treatment of patients with hip bursitis may include rest, activity modification, and physical therapy.
• Walking sticks or crutches were used to help in mobility. A physical therapist may recommend hip-strengthening exercises to improve flexibility.
• Ice pack application for 3-4 times per day can also help reduce the swelling, inflammation, and pain.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications function as a painkiller.
• Injection of one or two doses of corticosteroids with an interval of 4-6 months can reduce pain and inflammation. But still, many patients continue to have pain and functional limitations. In a research study, 33% of patients required two corticosteroid injections to improve the symptoms, while some had even five injections [4].
• Hip bursitis surgery options include hip arthroscopy, where the bursa is removed through an incision in the hip region. Though surgery is an option, it is recommended only when there is no improvement with non-surgical treatments.

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